On 23 March 2012, Mrs. Valerie Amos, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, during her visit to the region to discuss and exchange views on humanitarian assistance and disaster management.
Foreign Minister Surapong expressed his appreciation to the United Nations for the assistance, both in kind and in cash, provided to Thailand during the flood crisis last year. He also thanked the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for its contribution of approximately USD 195,000 through the Thai Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). On this occasion, he emphasized that Thailand will continue to support the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), having already supported the amount of USD 20,000 for this year’s budget.
The UN Under-Secretary-General thanked the Foreign Minister for Thailand’s support to the CERF and its generous support to the work of the UN, as Thailand is the location of the UN Regional Office for Asia and Pacific. Regarding the flood situation last year, the UN Under-Secretary-General was impressed with the Royal Thai Government’s effort in solving problems and preparing a disaster management and prevention plan for the future. In addition, as Thailand is chairing the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management this year, she was of the view that Thailand could utilize UN expertise and knowledge to support its work in this area. Furthermore, Thailand could share its experiences on disaster management with other countries for the benefit of all parties.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th